Pimax Crystal Pro
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| Pimax Crystal Pro | |
|---|---|
| Basic Info | |
| VR/AR | Virtual Reality |
| Type | Head-mounted display |
| Subtype | PC VR |
| Creator | Pimax |
| Developer | Pimax |
| Announcement Date | 6 October 2026 (Pimax Frontier launch event) |
| Release Date | Not yet released; Pimax's FAQ says shipping is set to start in spring 2027 (as of October 2026) |
| Price | US$1,399 (headset); US$1,899 (bundle with the third-generation 60G AirLink kit); announced prices |
| Website | https://www.pimax.com/product/crystal-pro |
| Versions | Headset only; headset with 60G AirLink (third generation) |
| Requires | For PC VR: RTX 2070 or above (minimum), RTX 3080 / RTX 4070 or above (recommended); no PC needed in standalone mode |
| System | |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 (Gen 1, per Pimax) |
| Display | |
| Display | TFT QD-LCD (QLED) with Mini-LED local dimming, 576 zones per eye |
| Resolution | 2880 x 2880 per eye (about 17 million pixels total) |
| Refresh Rate | 72 / 90 / 120 Hz |
| Image | |
| Field of View | 110° horizontal |
| Optics | |
| Optics | Glass aspheric lenses |
| Passthrough | Full-color, with the optional MR faceplate |
| Tracking | |
| Tracking | SLAM 2.0 inside-out (four cameras, motion sensor, infrared illumination); optional Lighthouse via a swappable faceplate |
| Eye Tracking | Yes (Omnivision; ten infrared emitters per eye; 120 Hz) |
| Audio | |
| Audio | Off-ear speakers; optional DMAS 2.0 earphones |
| Microphone | Three (two for voice, one for noise cancelling) |
| Connectivity | |
| Connectivity | Built-in Wi-Fi streaming with an included Wi-Fi 6E adapter; optional 60G AirLink (third generation); optional DisplayPort 1.4a cable |
| Power | External battery pack; no battery built into the headset |
| Battery Capacity | 16,000 mAh (external pack) |
| Device | |
| Input | Two Pimax ringed SLAM controllers (included) |
The Pimax Crystal Pro is a virtual reality head-mounted display announced by Pimax on 6 October 2026. Pimax describes it as a wireless PC VR headset built around a streaming method it calls Native Foveated Streaming, and it can also run some content without a PC on a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 1 chip.[1][2] The headset was unveiled at the company's "Pimax Frontier: Change To Stay The Same" launch event, alongside new ringless controllers and a mini-PC called the Spation.[1]
Pimax announced a price of US$1,399 for the headset and US$1,899 for a bundle with its optional third-generation 60G AirLink kit. As of October 2026 the Crystal Pro was not shipping: buyers could place a non-refundable US$1 reservation, and Pimax's FAQ said hands-on demos would start in the fourth quarter of 2026, with shipping set to start in spring 2027.[3][4] All specifications below are announced figures from Pimax. MIXED reported on 7 October 2026 that nobody outside Pimax had yet tried the headset.[5]
Announcement and availability
Pimax presented the Crystal Pro on 6 October 2026 in a prerecorded presentation by Jaap, Sander and Amii, and published a press release datelined San Jose the same day.[3][1] In the launch video, Pimax's Jaap Grolleman said: "What if you could cut the cable and still send the image with no visual compression. That question is the reason this headset exists."[6] The same event introduced a new brand color, Stratosphere Blue, and an updated logo.[1]
Reservations opened on the day of the announcement. Pimax's store lists the US$1 reservation as non-refundable; it gives US$20 off the headset at launch, or US$50 off the bundle with the 60G AirLink kit.[4][3] Pimax's sources give the timing in slightly different terms. The press release says shipping dates for the Crystal Pro and the 60G AirLink kit "will be announced at a later date", the store listing says shipping starts in 2027, and the FAQ says shipping is set to start in spring 2027, after hands-on demos that start in the fourth quarter of 2026.[1][4][3]
| Configuration | Contents (per Pimax) | Announced price (US) |
|---|---|---|
| Crystal Pro | Headset, two ringed SLAM controllers, a 16,000 mAh external battery pack and a Wi-Fi adapter | US$1,399 |
| Crystal Pro with 60G AirLink (third generation) | The above, plus two headset antennas, two Room Antennas and two USB-C cables | US$1,899 |
| 60G AirLink kit (third generation), sold separately | Two headset antennas, two Room Antennas and two USB-C cables | US$599 |
A DisplayPort cable is optional and not included in either configuration.[4][1]
Press coverage framed the Crystal Pro against Valve's Steam Frame. Road to VR headlined its report "Pimax Aims to Take on Steam Frame" and noted that the Crystal Pro, like the Steam Frame, focuses on wireless PC VR streaming.[7] PC Gamer wrote that Pimax "seems to be following Valve's recent example", pointing to the Wi-Fi 6E adapter in the box and to Valve's earlier use of foveated streaming on the Steam Frame.[6]
Design and hardware
Display and optics
Pimax lists two quantum-dot LCD (QLED) panels at 2880 x 2880 pixels per eye, about 17 million pixels in total, behind glass aspheric lenses. It gives a 110° horizontal field of view, 35 pixels per degree, refresh rates of 72, 90 and 120 Hz, Mini-LED local dimming with 576 zones per eye, and a brightness of 200 nits.[1] According to the product page, the glass lenses are carried over from the Pimax Crystal, Pimax Crystal Light and Pimax Crystal Super, paired with "a new QLED panel built for this headset". Pimax argues there that pancake lenses lose at least 85% of the light passing through them, against under 1% for its glass aspheric lenses.[2]
MIXED compared the announced figures with Pimax's own model comparison page and found that the Crystal Light is listed with the same panel type with Mini-LED local dimming, resolution, pixels per degree, horizontal field of view, lens type and refresh rates. On that page the Crystal Light is listed without eye tracking, which the Crystal Pro has; MIXED described the wireless streaming hardware as the other addition. MIXED also reported that Pimax had not published a weight for the Crystal Pro.[5]
Pimax says official prescription lens inserts will be available, and that the eye relief is adjustable.[3]
Eye tracking and foveated streaming
The headset has integrated Omnivision eye tracking with ten infrared emitters per eye, sampling at 120 Hz. Pimax says the eye tracking is used for dynamic foveated rendering and, with the 60G AirLink kit installed, for foveated streaming.[1] The eye-tracking hardware sits inside the lens housing rather than at the lens edge.[2]
Pimax's FAQ describes Native Foveated Streaming as a chain of steps. The PC renders the full frame; Pimax software takes the area the user is looking at directly from the GPU output without encoding it; the 60 GHz link carries it; and the processor in the headset combines the uncompressed focus area with the more efficiently streamed rest of the view before sending the image to the panels. The uncompressed area follows the user's gaze through eye tracking.[3] The press release says the link delivers an image equivalent to 2880 x 2880 pixels per eye at up to 90 Hz in the focus area, without video encoding.[1] PC Gamer described the result as native resolution in the focus area, with detail falling off toward the outer edges of the view.[6]
Tracking and faceplates
Tracking uses what Pimax calls SLAM 2.0, a form of inside-out tracking that combines four cameras, a motion sensor and infrared illumination, which Pimax says lets it track in low light.[1] The faceplate is swappable. A Lighthouse faceplate adds support for Lighthouse base stations, and Pimax says this works in wireless mode as well, calling the Crystal Pro "the only wireless headset on the market with Lighthouse support". An MR faceplate adds full-color passthrough with LiDAR depth sensing for mixed reality.[3][2] The backstrap, audio components and lens inserts can also be swapped.[1]
Wireless and wired connection
Wi-Fi streaming is the standard connection. The headset has a Wi-Fi chip built in, and a dedicated Wi-Fi 6E USB adapter for the PC is included in the box. Pimax's product page lists the Wi-Fi mode as compatible with Steam Link 2.0, and the FAQ says the adapter also works with the original Crystal but not with the Crystal Light or Crystal Super.[3][2][1]
The optional third-generation 60G AirLink kit uses the 60 GHz band (the band used by WiGig). It consists of two Room Antennas placed in the play space and two antennas that slot onto the headset. The Room Antennas work in a 2x2 MIMO configuration, which Pimax states is the first 60 GHz 2x2 MIMO wireless link on a VR headset. Pimax gives a combined throughput of up to 6 Gbps and less than 2 ms of added latency.[1] According to the FAQ, the two signal paths carry data side by side when both are clear, and one takes over if the user's arm or body blocks the other; if the 60 GHz signal is lost entirely, the headset falls back to Wi-Fi. The headset antennas form a narrow beam that is steered electronically toward the Room Antennas, with infrared LEDs used so that each side can track the other's position. Pimax says that with the right setup the kit can cover a play space of five by five meters, and that Pimax Play guides the placement of the antennas. As with other 60 GHz systems, the signal does not pass through walls.[3][1] The product page says the Snapdragon XR2 keeps the frames in sync, with an identifier carried on each frame.[2]
For wired PC VR, an optional DisplayPort 1.4a cable connects the headset in the same way as on the Crystal Light and Crystal Super. Pimax says the panels run at their full 120 Hz when wired.[3][1]
Standalone mode
Pimax's product page lists the Crystal Pro's positioning as "PC VR wireless + standalone dual mode" and its standalone mode as running on a Snapdragon XR2 Gen1.[2] Asked whether it is a standalone headset, Pimax's FAQ answers "Yes and no": the Crystal Pro is a PC VR headset, but without a PC it can run many applications, including Android and OpenXR mobile titles, or play films while traveling.[3] Road to VR noted that the XR2 Gen 1 is the same chipset used in the Meta Quest 2, and that standalone apps run only if they can run on that chip.[7]
Power, audio and comfort
The headset has no built-in battery. It is powered by an included 16,000 mAh external pack, which the store listing describes as worn in a pocket.[1][4] Other announced features are a rigid backstrap, a magnetically attached facemask with a foam interface, three remappable buttons, active cooling, off-ear speakers and three microphones (two for voice and one for noise cancelling). Redesigned DMAS 2.0 earphones are an optional extra.[3][1]
PC requirements
Pimax's published PC requirements apply only to PC VR use over AirLink or DisplayPort, not to standalone mode. CPU, RAM, storage and operating system requirements were listed as "TBD" at announcement.[2]
| Level | GPU (per Pimax) |
|---|---|
| Minimum | RTX 2070 or above |
| Recommended | RTX 3080 / RTX 4070 or above |
Specifications
All values are as announced by Pimax in October 2026.[1][2]
| Component | Announced specification |
|---|---|
| Display | TFT QD-LCD (QLED), Mini-LED local dimming with 576 zones per eye, 200 nits |
| Resolution | 2880 x 2880 per eye (about 17 million pixels) |
| Pixel density | 35 PPD |
| Field of view | 110° horizontal |
| Refresh rate | 72 / 90 / 120 Hz |
| Lenses | Glass aspheric |
| Chipset (standalone mode) | Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen1 |
| Eye tracking | Omnivision, ten infrared emitters per eye, 120 Hz |
| Tracking | SLAM 2.0 inside-out (four cameras, motion sensor, infrared illumination); optional Lighthouse faceplate |
| Passthrough | Full-color with LiDAR depth sensing (optional MR faceplate) |
| Wireless | Built-in Wi-Fi streaming and Wi-Fi adapter (included); optional 60G AirLink (third generation), 2x2 MIMO, up to 6 Gbps, under 2 ms added latency |
| Wired | DisplayPort 1.4a (optional cable) |
| Battery | 16,000 mAh external pack; none in the headset |
| Audio | Off-ear speakers; optional DMAS 2.0 earphones; three microphones |
Related announcements
Pimax announced two other products at the same event. The Pimax Ringless VR Controllers drop the tracking ring of earlier Pimax controllers: infrared LEDs on the controllers are read by the headset cameras, combined with a motion sensor and hand tracking, and Pimax gives a latency under 15 ms. The two halves clip together into a wireless gamepad for Windows and Steam. Each has a TMR joystick, a linear haptic motor and a 710 mAh battery that Pimax rates at up to 40 hours. Pimax says they are also compatible with the Crystal Light, Crystal Super, Pimax Dream Air and Pimax Dream Air SE.[1][3] The Crystal Pro itself ships with ringed SLAM controllers.[4]
The Pimax Spation is a compact desktop PC for PC VR, with an AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D (or equivalent) CPU, an AMD RX 9070 XT or Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti GPU, 32 GB of DDR5-6000 memory and a 1 TB NVMe SSD. Pimax says it supports Windows and SteamOS, and that it works with 60G AirLink, which is not built in. Prices and release dates for the controllers and the Spation were not announced.[1][3] Road to VR described the Spation as a mini-PC in the style of Valve's Steam Machine.[7] Pimax also said that Pimax Play is coming to Linux as a dedicated client.[1]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 Jaap Grolleman (2026-10-06). "Pimax Unveils Crystal Pro with Native Foveated Streaming, Sending the GPU's Native Image Wirelessly to the Headset". Pimax Store blog. Pimax. https://store.pimax.com/blogs/blogs/pimax-unveils-crystal-pro-with-native-foveated-streaming-sending-the-gpus-native-image-wirelessly-to-the-headset. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 "Pimax Crystal Pro: Crystal clarity, now wireless". Pimax. Pimax. https://www.pimax.com/product/crystal-pro. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 Jaap Grolleman (2026-10-06). "Pimax Frontier 2026 FAQ". Pimax Store blog. Pimax. https://store.pimax.com/blogs/blogs/pimax-frontier-2026-faq. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 "Pimax Crystal Pro". Pimax Store. Pimax. https://store.pimax.com/products/crystal-pro. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Chris Steven (2026-10-07). "Pimax's $1,399 Crystal Pro uses the same panels and lenses as the $899 Crystal Light". MIXED. https://mixed-news.com/en/pimax-crystal-pro-same-panels-lenses-as-crystal-light/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Jacob Ridley (2026-10-08). "Pimax says 'I'll have what Valve's having' as it announces new wireless VR headset, foveated streaming, updated controllers, and long Steam Machine". PC Gamer. https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/vr-hardware/pimax-says-ill-have-what-valves-having-as-it-announces-new-wireless-vr-headset-foveated-streaming-updated-controllers-and-long-steam-machine/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Scott Hayden (2026-10-06). "Pimax Aims to Take on Steam Frame with New 'Crystal Pro' Headset, Priced at $1,400". Road to VR. https://www.roadtovr.com/pimax-steam-frame-crystal-pro-price-release/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.